Sheet handling and forming construction

ABSTRACT

A construction for the handling and forming of metal sheets comprising a receiving and conveying station having an upper level and a lower level. A sheet to be formed is delivered to the upper level and then dropped to the lower level. Means are provided at the lower level for moving the sheet to a forming station located alongside the lower level. The next sheet to be formed is delivered to the upper level in the course of movement of the first sheet toward the forming station and the next sheet is dropped from the upper level to the lower level for movement to the forming station immediately following the previous sheet.

I United States Patent 1111 [72] Inventors George W. Lamberson [56] References Cited Bmk; UNITED STATES PATENTS R'kemack'Ad 1,125,984 1/1915 Dumas 72/247 Morton Grove, all 0!, ll]. 1 pp No 806 4 2,141,394 12/1938 lvers en 72/251 [22] Filed Mar. 12, 969 3,071,032 1/1963 Teplrtz 72/428 [45] Patented June 29, 1971 Primary Examiner-Charles W. Lanham [73] Assignee The Lockiormer Company Assistant Examiner-R. M. Rogers Chicago, Ill. Attorney-McDougall, Hersh, Scott and Ladd [54] SHEET HANDLING AND FORMING CONSTRUCTION 8 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 72/419, 72/25l,27l/63 [S1] lnt.Cl B2lb 39/20, B2 1d 43/00, B65h 29/00 [50] Field of Search 72/419,

428, 251, 247, 379, 238; 27l'lDlG. 4

ABSTRACT: A construction for the handling and forming of metal sheets comprising a receiving and conveying station having an upper level and a lower level. A sheet to be formed is delivered to the upper level and then dropped to the lower level. Means are provided at the lower level for moving the sheet to a forming station located alongside the lower level. The next sheet to be formed is delivered to the upper level in the course of movement of the first sheet toward the forming station and the next sheet is dropped from the upper level to the lower level for movement to the forming station immediately following the previous sheet.

PATENTEH JUH29 ma SHEET 1 OF 5 FIG 2 PATENTEU JUH29 IBYI SHEET 3 BF 5 PATENTEU JUN29 I971 SHEET l UF 5 220 fig vi IOOOEBQO PATENTEUJUNZSISH 3,589,165

sum 5 0F 5 FIG. [4

SHEET HANDLING AND FORMING CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to a sheet handling and forming construction. The invention will be described with reference to an operation wherein metal sheets are sheared to size, moved to a receiving and conveying station, and the delivered to a form' ing station, the forming station operating to bend, punch or otherwise work on the sheet.

In the mass production of sheets having portions thereof formed into desired configurations, it is necessary to line the sheets up in precise relationship with forming tools. In many instances, manual handling of the sheets is required to insure that the forming tools will work on the sheet in the precise locations required. For example, in a forming construction wherein a locking configuration is to be formed along one edge of a sheet and interlocking buttons are to be formed along the opposite edge of the sheet, the respective sheet edges must be delivered to the forming tools in a precise position since otherwise the forming tools will fonn the edges improperly, and since jamming of the forming apparatus could also occur.

Difficulties have been encountered in attempting to automate a system providing for conveying and forming of sheets. Thus, where conveying means have been designed which will accurately position sheets prior to movement to the forming station, the conveying operation is unduly slow and inefficient. Rapid movement of the sheets to the forming station, on the other hand, prevents accurate alignment.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved means for the handling of sheets whereby the sheets can be accurately and efficiently delivered to forming means.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a sheet handling and forming construction consisting of a receiving and conveying station having means for moving sheets to a forming station in rapid sequence, and having means for accurately aligning the sheets whereby the sheets will be in proper position relative to the tools employed in the forming operation.

These and other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter and for purposes of illustration, but not of limitation, specific embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the sheet handling and forming construction of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the forming station taken about the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the sheet receiving and conveying station taken about the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross-sectional view of the receiving and conveying station taken about the line 4-4 of FIG. ll;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken about the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a detailed sectional view taken about the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view of the forming station taken about the line 7-7 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed view particularly illustrating mounting means for forming tools at the outside end of the forming station;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view taken about the line 9-9 of FIG. 10; and,

FIG. 10 is a reduced fragmentary view taken about the line 10-10 ofFlG. 9;

FIG. 11 is through 13 comprise fragmentary perspective views illustrating typical formed configurations of the edges of sheets;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the mounting means and forming tools shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The construction of this invention generally comprises means for handling sheets comprising a receiving and conveying station with a forming station being located alongside. Sheets to be formed are delivered to an upper level of the receiving and conveying station, and are then dropped to a lower level. Pusher means engage the sheet at the lower level and drive the sheet toward the forming station. In the meantime, the next sheet is located in position at the upper level so that this sheet can be dropped down as soon as the lower level is cleared.

The receiving and conveying station provides means for delivering sheets to the forming station in rapid sequence so that a highly efficient mass production operation can be achieved. In addition, the receiving and conveying arrangement provides an ideal means for insuring accurate alignment of the sheets prior to movement to the forming station. Thus, the sheets can be automatically located in position at the lower level and moved to the forming station while maintained in this position without in any way being affected by locating of the next sheet at the upper level for subsequent dropping to the lower level.

FIG. 1 illustrates a construction 10 incorporating the features of this invention. This construction comprises a receiving and conveying station 12 and a forming station 14. It will be appreciated that the invention will be described with reference to a forming operation wherein the forming tools operate on the side edges of a sheet in the course of movement of the sheet through the forming station in the direction of the arrow 16. Other forming operations can obviously be accomplished while utilizing the principles of this invention.

The details of the receiving and conveying station 12 are illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 6. This station comprises upright supporting members 18, a longitudinally extending upper support 20 and intermediate frame members 22 and 24 and bottom frame member 26.

A rectangular supporting structure is provided between the upright supports 18 by channel members 28 and 30. The ends of conveyor rollers 32 are journaled in the channels 30. Sprockets 34 are associated with each roller, and chain drive 36 extends between these sprockets and idler sprockets 38. The drive for the conveyor rollers is provided by means of motor 40, belt 42 and pulley 44, the latter having a sprocket 46 engaging the drive chain 36.

The rollers 32 are located at a lower level in the station 12. The upper level of the station comprises a receiving means which includes a pair of pivotally mounted arms 48 on one side of the construction, and a corresponding set of arms 50 on the other side of the construction. The arms 48 are pivotally connected at 52 to opposed channel members 54. The ends of piston rods 56 are connected at 58 to the arms 48 so that retracting movement of the piston rods during operation of the pistons 60 will rock the arms 48 to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 5.

Each of the arms 50 is pivotally connected at 62 to a bracket 64 which is attached to the plate 66. As shown in FIG. 6, the plate 66 is mounted on rollers 68, and these rollers are on tracks 70 which are in turn attached to channels 54.

A downwardly extending arm 72 serves to connect the plate 66 to piston rod 74. Upon retracting operation of the piston 76, the plate 66 and the associated arm 50 will move from right of to left in FIG. 5. This arrangement is provided so that the arms 48 and 50 can handle sheets of different sizes. For example, in the extended position of the piston 76, a 60 -inch wide sheet may be accommodated by the arms 48 and 50. The retracted position of the piston is then provided for a 48 -inch sheet. Only the two alternative positions are shown since these are standard sizes; however, it will be obvious that other means for adjusting the relative positions of the arms can be employed so that any number of sheet sizes could be accommodated.

The plate 66 also carries an upwardly extending arm 78 which supports one end of piston 80. The piston rod 82 is connected at 84 to the arm 50 whereby the arm can be pivoted in the same manner as described with reference to the arm 48. It will be apparent that the piston will be shifted along with the associated arm 50in response to operation of the piston 76 so that the rocking movement of the arm 50 can be accomplished in either position of the arm. As indicated, the arms 48 and 50 are provided in pairs, and each has an associated rocking mechanism. The control means for the system provides for the operation of the pistons 60 and 80 in unison so that a sheet will be released by the arms simultaneously for dropping of the sheet to the lower level.

Supporting rods 86 are secured to and extend between the arms 48 and 50 so that sheets moved into the upper level will be supported along their entire length. It will also be noted that the arms 48 and 50 each define inwardly curved cutout portions whereby substantially all of the support for a sheet is provided by the rods 86. This is true even during rocking movement of the arms because of the curvature provided. Thus, the edges of the sheets will not come into contact with the arms during rocking movement so that pressure will not be applied to the sheet whereby the sheet will be as flat as possible as it is dropped onto the rollers 32.

The sheets are delivered to the upper level by means of con veyors rolls 88 and 90, the roll 90 being driven by means of motor 92 through belt 94. A switch 96 is engaged by a sheet as it moves into position from a prior station (FIG. 4). The operation of the pistons 60 and 80 may be dependent upon movement of the sheet past the switch 96. A time delay means can be incorporated to insure that the trailing edge of the sheet will be in position on the arms before the arms rock to drop the sheet to the lower level.

A pusher mechanism is provided at the lower level for forcing the sheet transversely in the direction of the forming station 14. The pusher means include a rectangular frame 100 having a plurality of fingers 102 extending upwardly between adjacent rollers 32. Wheels 104 are attached at each corner of the frame, and these wheels ride in tracks 106, one track being attached to a channel member 28, and the other track being attached to supporting plate 108 which extends between channel members 30.

The rectangular frame 100 includes a downwardly extending bracket 110, and the end of piston rod 112 is attached to this bracket. Operation of the piston 114 serves to move the fingers for engagement with a sheet supported on the conveyor rollers 32.

When the station 12 is operating in conjunction with the station 14, the rollers 32 are driven in a clockwise direction (FIGS. 3 and 4). Thus, a sheet dropped onto the rollers will be moved in a direction opposite the direction of movement when the sheet was introduced into the upper level. The action of the rollers 32 drives the sheet into engagement with a plate 116 extending across the end of the lower level. A pair of microswitches 118 have actuating means exposed on the surface of the plate 116 so that the sheet will operate the microswitches. The plate 116 is precisely positioned relative to the entry end of the forming station 14 so that a sheet aligned relative to the plate will be accurately located for movement by the fingers 102 into the forming station. The operation of the piston 114 is dependent on closing of both switches 118 so that the sheet will not be moved into the forming station until it is lined up with the plate 116. If the sheet is dropped onto the roller bed at an angle, and only one switch 118 is closed because of the misalignment of the sheet, the piston 114 will not operate. The rollers 32 will, however, force the sheet into engagement with the other switch at the time the piston will operate to move the fingers.

Any suitable means may be employed for adjusting the position of the plate 116 so that proper operation can be achieved. Similarly, the adjacent frame members of the stations 12 and 14 are preferably interconnected by adjustable means to provide for variations in position which may be required when setting up a particular operation. Plates 119 (FIGS. 1 and 3) may be bolted to the adjacent supporting legs of the construction and slotted openings may be provided in the plates to provide the desired adjustment.

In some instances, the station 12 may be employed in conjunction with a forming means or other construction positioned at the end of the lower level opposite the plate 116. In

this case, the driving movement of the rollers 32 is reversed, and a sheet on the roller bed is passed from the lower level in the direction of the arrow 120 (FIG. 3). Conveyor roll 122 and driven conveyor roll 124 are provided for this purpose. The conveyor roll 124 may be driven by the chain 36.

The forming station 14 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7 through 10. This construction comprises main corner posts 126 having supporting plates 128 and 130 located thereon. Support posts 132 are positioned on these plates and transverse frame members 134 extend between these supports.

A pair of carriage supporting rods 136 and 138 are secured to upright members 140 supported on the plates 128 and 130. The carriage 142 defines bottom openings for receiving this rod.

A pair of drivescrews 144 and 146 are positioned adjacent the supporting rods 136 and 138. Threaded openings are defined in the underside of the carriage 142 whereby rotation of the screws by an appropriate drive motor (not shown) will move the carriage back and forth across the forming station.

The carriage 142 may be a conventional edge forming construction consisting of a plurality of rollers adapted to progressively provide a particular edge configuration. For example, the carriage may support a plurality of rollers which will form a flange 148 in a sheet as shown in FIG. 12.

A stationary carriage 150 is positioned at the end of the forming station, and this carriage may include a plurality of rollers also of conventional design. For example, these rollers may be employed for forming a receiver lock 152 in the opposite edge of the sheet as shown in FIG. 11. The overall operation may involve the eventual folding of the sheet with other equipment into a rectangular configuration whereby the flange 148 having punched areas 154 can be forced into locking engagement with the lock 152.

The rollers associated with the carriage 150 may be driven by a belt 156 connected to motor 158. A motor 160 and belt 162 are provided for driving the forming rolls associated with the carriage 142.

As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the carriage 150 comprises a pair of opposed plates 164 and 166. A first drive pulley 168 is driven by the belt 156 and this pulley, through appropriate drive connections will rotate the gears 170 tied to the shafts 172. Referring to FIG. 8, a first pair of forming rolls 174 and 176 are mounted at one end of the shafts adjacent the inside surface of the plate 164. A second pair of forming rolls 178 and 180 are positioned at the other ends of the shafts adjacent the outside surface of the plate 176.

In the position of the construction shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the sheet to be formed will be fed between the forming rolls 174 and 176 as well as other forming rolls in the series necessary for providing the particular edge to be formed. It will be noted that in this operation, the sheet will be fed between upper and lower guide plates 182 and 184, and through a gap 186 formed in the plate 164. The plate 164 is formed of upper and lower sections to provide this gap.

The carriage 150 is supported at its ends by a pair of upright plates 188 and 190. A pin 192 extends through the plate for attachment to a plate 194 which extends outwardly from the plate 166. A similar pin support is provided at the other end of the carriage, and the carriage is adapted to rotate about these pins whereby the forming rolls 178 and 180, and other rolls journaled in the plate 166 will be in the working position. A lockpin 198 may extend through an opening in the plate 198 for entry into openings provided on the carriage to lock the carriage either of the two positions. A handle 200 may be attached to the plate 166 to facilitate movement of the carriage. It will be appreciated that prior to movement, the belt 156 is removed form the pulley 168 and is associated with the pulley 202 after rotation of the carriage.

The pulley 202 drives gear 204 which in turn drives gear 206. The gear 206 is mounted on the same shaft as pinion 207 (FIG. 7), and this pinion drives gear 209 which is tied to the shaft 211 carrying gear 213. The latter is in driving engagement with gear 170. A similar gear chain is driven by the pulley 168. The undriven gears and pulley idle while the other group is driven.

A supporting and guide mechanism is located between the stationary carriage 150 and the movable carriage 142. This mechanism is employed in order to provide adequate support for the sheet as the sheet edges are moving through the form ing rolls.

The guides and support means consists of a plurality of upper and lower plates 208 and 210. The plates 210 are supported for sliding movement on transverse extending rails 212. The upper supports 208 included are provided with arms 214 at each end, and these arms are attached to downwardly extending arms 216. The arms 216 are fixed to channel shaped members 218 which are attached for sliding movement relative to the rails 220. The rails 220 are secured to the transverse supports 134.

An upper set of pivotally connected arms 222 are connected to each of the channel members 218. A corresponding set of arms 224 are connected to the downwardly extending portions 226 associated with lower guides 210. The connections of the arms to the elements 218 and 226 are provided by means of pins 228 and 230 which permit free movement ofthe arms during movement of the carriage 142. Each of the supports 208 and 210 defines a bend 232 as illustrated in FIG. 7 whereby a suitably wide mouth is provided for entry of a sheet.

The elements 218 and 226 shown at the extreme right-hand side of FIG. 10 are fastened to the rails 220 and 212 respectively. The opposite end elements 218 and 226 are tied to the carriage 142 so that movement of the carriage will result in spreading of the guide and support members 208 and 210. When these members are spread apart, however, the spacing between them will be uniform due to the construction of the arms 222 and 224. This provides uniform support all along the length of a sheet during the forming operation and avoids any possibility that the weight of the sheet will atfect the position of the edges relative to the forming rolls.

The construction described is highly versatile from the standpoint of handling different sheet sizes since the spacing between the carriages can be easily varied. It is also extremely important to note that the rotatable carriage 150 includes separate sets of forming rolls which are automatically brought into forming position with a minimum of effort. An example of the advantages of this is illustrated in FIGS. 11 through 13. As indicated, the configuration defined in FIG. 11 can be formed by one set of forming rolls and provides a female section for interfitting with the flange 148 formed by the opposed set of forming rolls. When the carriage 150 is rotated through 180, the opposite set of forming rolls will form a Pittsburgh lock" as shown in FIG. 13 which can be used with the same flange 148. In this connection, the punched areas 154 may be excluded from the flange 148, if desired, by simply removing certain rolls from the carriage 142. This may be particularly necessary in the case of heavier gauge stock. In any event, the time required to switch from one type operation to another is extremely short when compared with standard operations. In this connection, the axis of rotation for the carriage 150 may be located so that switching from one set of forming rollers to another will not involve any adjustment in the aligning means of an associated conveyor.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the above described construction which provide the characteristics of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof particularly as defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A sheet handling and forming construction comprising a receiving and conveying station having an upper and lower level, and including means for delivering a sheet to to be formed to said upper level, means for supporting said sheet at said upper level and means for operating the support means for dropping the sheet to said lower level, means located at said lower level for pushing said sheet to a sheet forming station located alongside said receiving and conveying station, and means for delivering the next sheet to be formed to said upper level as said first mentioned sheet is being pushed toward said forming station, said next sheet being dropped from said upper level upon movement ofsaid first sheet to said forming station, and wherein said forming means comprises opposed sets of forming element for working on the edges of a sheet moved from said receiving and conveying station, and including means for varying the spacing between said forming elements to accommodate sheets of different sizes.

2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein one set of said forming elements is mounted on a stationary carriage at one end of said forming station and the other set of said forming elements is mounted on a movable carriage, and including a plurality of guide means extending between said carriages, and including supporting means for said guide means, said supporting means having said guide means attached thereto at evenly spaced intervals and wherein said supporting means will extend and retract in response to movement of said movable carriage while maintaining the evenly spaced relationship between said guide means.

3. A construction in accordance with claim 1 including means connecting said receiving and conveying station to said forming station, said connecting means being adjustable for changing the relative positions of said stations.

4. A sheet handling and forming construction comprising a sheet receiving and conveying station and means for moving a sheet from said station to a sheet forming station located alongside the receiving and conveying station, means for aligning sheets prior to movement to said forming station, forming elements in said forming station, at least one carriage for supporting said forming elements, and means pivotally mounting said carriage in said forming station, said forming elements including separate groups on each side of said carriage whereby one group will be out of operating position depending on the position of said carriage.

5. A construction in accordance with claim 4 wherein the pivot axis of said carriage extends parallel to the plane of a sheet being formed, and wherein rotation of said carriages about said axis through automatically locates one group of forming elements in proper operating position.

6. A construction in accordance with claim 4 including means for locking said carriage in two different positions, each of said positions providing an operating position for one group of said forming elements.

7. A sheet handling and forming construction comprising a receiving and conveying station and means for moving a sheet from said station to a sheet forming station located alongside the receiving and conveying station, aligning means included in said receiving and conveying station for positioning the sheet, and forming elements in said forming station mounted on carriages located in spaced apart relationship, said sheet being moved into the forming station between said carriages whereby said forming elements work on opposed side edges of the sheet, means for varying the spaced relationship of said carriages for accommodating sheets of different sizes, a plurality of sheet guide means extending between said carriages, and including supporting means for said guide means, said supporting means having said guide means attached thereto at evenly spaced intervals, and wherein said supporting means extend and retract in response to relative movement of said carriages while maintaining an evenly spaced relationship between said guide means.

8. In a sheet forming construction comprising opposed sets of forming elements for working on the edges of a sheet delivered to the forming construction, and including means for varying the spacing between said forming elements to accommodate sheets of different sizes, the improvement wherein one set of said forming elements is mounted on a stationary carriage at one end of said forming station and the other set of said forming elements is: mounted on a movable means, said supporting means being connected to said carriages and having said guide means attached at evenly spaced intervals. and wherein said supporting means extend and 

1. A sheet handling and forming construction comprising a receiving and conveying station having an upper and lower level, and including means for delivering a sheet to to be formed to said upper level, means for supporting said sheet at said upper level and means for operating the support means for dropping the sheet to said lower level, means located at said lower level for pushing said sheet to a sheet forming station located alongside said receiving and conveying station, and means for delivering the next sheet to be formed to said upper level as said first mentioned sheet is being pushed toward said forming station, said next sheet being dropped from said upper level upon movement of said first sheet to said forming station, and wherein said forming means comprises opposed sets of forming element for working on the edges of a sheet moved from said receiving and conveying station, and including means for varying the spacing between said forming elements to accommodate sheets of different sizes.
 2. A construction in accordance with claim 1 wherein one set of said forming elements is mounted on a stationary carriage at one end of said forming station and the other set of said forming elements is mounted on a movable carriage, and including a plurality of guide means extending between said carriages, and including supporting means for said guide means, said supporting means having said guide means attached thereto at evenly spaced intervals and wherein said supporting means will extend and retract in response to movement of said movable carriage while maintaining the evenly spaced relationship between said guide means.
 3. A construction in accordance with claim 1 including means connecting said receiving and conveying station to said forming station, said connecting means being adjustable for changing the relative positions of said stations.
 4. A sheet handling and forming construction comprising a sheet receiving and conveying station and means for moving a sheet from said station to a sheet forming station located alongside the receiving and conveying station, means for aligning sheets prior to movement to said forming station, forming elements in said forming station, at least one carriage for supporting said forming elements, and means pivotally mounting said carriage in said forming station, said forming elements including separate groups on each side of said carriage whereby one group will be out of operating position depending on the position of said carriage.
 5. A constructioN in accordance with claim 4 wherein the pivot axis of said carriage extends parallel to the plane of a sheet being formed, and wherein rotation of said carriages about said axis through 180* automatically locates one group of forming elements in proper operating position.
 6. A construction in accordance with claim 4 including means for locking said carriage in two different positions, each of said positions providing an operating position for one group of said forming elements.
 7. A sheet handling and forming construction comprising a receiving and conveying station and means for moving a sheet from said station to a sheet forming station located alongside the receiving and conveying station, aligning means included in said receiving and conveying station for positioning the sheet, and forming elements in said forming station mounted on carriages located in spaced apart relationship, said sheet being moved into the forming station between said carriages whereby said forming elements work on opposed side edges of the sheet, means for varying the spaced relationship of said carriages for accommodating sheets of different sizes, a plurality of sheet guide means extending between said carriages, and including supporting means for said guide means, said supporting means having said guide means attached thereto at evenly spaced intervals, and wherein said supporting means extend and retract in response to relative movement of said carriages while maintaining an evenly spaced relationship between said guide means.
 8. In a sheet forming construction comprising opposed sets of forming elements for working on the edges of a sheet delivered to the forming construction, and including means for varying the spacing between said forming elements to accommodate sheets of different sizes, the improvement wherein one set of said forming elements is mounted on a stationary carriage at one end of said forming station and the other set of said forming elements is mounted on a movable carriage, a plurality of guide means extending between said carriages, and including supporting means for said guide means, said supporting means being connected to said carriages and having said guide means attached at evenly spaced intervals, and wherein said supporting means extend and retract in response to movement of said movable carriage while maintaining the evenly spaced relationship between said guide means. 